Colorless or near colorless diamond set in 18 K yellow gold?

[lmurden]

Hi,

I have read that a colorless diamond should only be set in white gold or platinum and a near colorless diamond should be set in 18K yellow gold. Is this true? Will the diamond really pick-up the color of the setting even if the prong is platinum?

My boyfriend says that the budget will be $5,000 I know by buying online I can get a solitaire engagement ring from 3/4 carat to 1 carat. I know for sure that I want 18k yellow gold setting and want to get VS2 clarity or better but choosing the color is what I''m stuck on. Of course the cut will be Ideal but definitely not Hearts & Arrows (I don''t care about that).

Overall I want quality, but then again I don''t want to waste money on something that I can''t see.
I do have diamond earrings and a solitaire pendant that is a I color SI clarity and I love them but think that I should get a better color. I just can''t make up mind.

Thanks




LM

 

[Shay37]

Have you tried going to eye candy folder in the show me the ring section? There are a number of rings that both follow and break those "rules." It really depends on how well cut the diamond is as to how white it will face up and how it should be set to minimize the color. Jenn and I have I color Superbcerts with Medium blue fl. and they are set in 18k yellow gold with platinum prongs. Her pics are better than mine. PQcollectibles has a J (with fl. I think, not sure how much fl. though) set in a platinum bezel set ring. (simply gorgeous) Hers is A Cut Above from Whiteflash. There are so many rings there that because they are well cut, can be set in platinum.

Color is a subjective thing. Some people can see even slight changes in color grades, and others (like me) are hard pressed to see the difference in colors 4 and 5 grades apart. Have you gone to view any diamonds in person to see what your color sensitivity is? This might help you more than you realize. Whatever you do, check out the Show me the ring section, there are a lot of beautiful rings that will give you some ideas as to what you can do. Also, most vendors here will be glad to tell you on a rock by rock basis what their recommendation is for setting metal. Good luck and happy hunting.

Shay

 

[phoenixgirl]

It is totally your personal preference. I personally think that I SI1 is a great combination for white/eye-clean (always double check). You said that you think you "should" go for better color. If that's what you want, go for it, but maybe you should try looking at an I stone next to a G or whatever in person. If you really really like the look of the G better, go for that, but if they both look sparkly and white to you (remember, this stone will be on your finger, not up against an ultra white background), why not save the $ as you said?

Yum, for $5k you could get something like this:

1.15 I SI1 for $4514 Check out this stone's idealscope image! The price I listed is lower because WhiteFlash discounts their stones for PriceScope users.

I found this stone using the "search by cut quality" feature. I find it's a better way to find stones because more information is provided.

 

[bling]

Like the others have said..its totally a color preference, and is very subjective to each person. but you know you want a very well cut stone and in 18kt yellow gold. with you budget, the next step is to max out the size. given all the other factors, i think you can get a great I or J colored stone...which when well cut will still be very white..in an SI1 clarity and get well over a ct! should be fantastic! good luck!

 

[moremoremore]

I think you will be set with an H or I.... I know you think you should go up in color from the pendant...but if you get an ideal cut I....you will see the difference for sure....

I know you said you didn't want a H&A ....BUT....

http://www.goodoldgold.com/0_95ct_h_si1_h%26a.htm

 

[moremoremore]

and with the medium blue flourescence...it will still be bling bling white....together with the cut! Delicious...
I also like the one that Phoenixgirl posted!!!!

 

[lmurden]

Thanks for the advice. I have looked at the eye candy pictures and have seen a G color Ideal cut in person and it looked incredible, clear as water. I have also seen an I color very good cut and it was pretty. I don't think that I would have a problem buying an I color but I don't want to regret not getting a lower such as G.

But then I think that if I were to get a 3/4 carat RB and my budget is $5000 then why not go for it and get a D color Ideal cut. But I know that it is probably not worth it. Sorry for the indecisiveness. Thank you all for your help

 

[moremoremore]

LOL...join the club!!! Yellow gold or no yellow gold, I personally would not buy a D...If you want colorless, go with an F...I think unless the sky is the limit, a D and E is a little overkill...that's not to say that if you see an amazing D or E you shouldn't get it!

 

[lmurden]

I have nothing against Hearts & Arrows but I know that I really don't care if I can see them. I know that it sounds crazy buy why pay for a pattern. I just want the diamond to be super white, sparkly, and eye clean.

By the way, I saw an SI 1 diamond that faced up clean but when I looked through the side I saw a black dot and that turned me off. There is no way that I could be happy knowing that it was there.

 

[lmurden]

As far as size goes, I think 1 carat is big enough. Even when I tried on a 3/4 carat it was a nice size. Maybe I'm just being too modest.

 

[chialea]

It's all a taste thing. I found that .75 was a nice size on me too. I see lovely rings around here, and I think, hmm... would something bigger look nice -- but I don't think I'd want it for an everyday ring.

If you feel like that 5-10 years down the road, maybe an occasional-times ring would be nice...

 

[lmurden]

The only exception that I would make is if my boyfriend was rich and Then I would have no choice but to get a
3 carat rock!

Other than that walking around with 1.5 rock is little too much for me.

 

[alexah]

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On 7/14/2004 5:47:03 PM lmurden wrote:

I have nothing against Hearts & Arrows but I know that I really don't care if I can see them. I know that it sounds crazy buy why pay for a pattern. I just want the diamond to be super white, sparkly, and eye clean.
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It's not so much a pattern lmurden; Hearts & Arrows are so desirable because they are a by-product of a well-cut RB stone.

 

[SFDavey]

Not only rich, but able to be with you at all times in case some THUG comes along!

 

[lmurden]

Don't make me laugh but you're right!

You need a bodyguard. Then again a lady at my job wears five differnt diamond rings and she hasn't been attacked.

 

[moremoremore]

Imurden: clarity is graded face up...sometimes (not all) si1s will face up eye clean but inclusions are visible when looking through the pavillion...sometimes you can't see ANYTHING..each stone has to be judged individually...also, a lot depends on the type and placement of the inclusions...that stone happened to have a dark crystal! :0

 

[lmurden]

I hear you about clarity and any diamond that I buy must be inspected for visible inclusion from the top to the sides. I know that I can get more for my money by buying SI 1 but I feel more comfortable buying VS clarity.

Although, I have talked to two internet venders Blue Nile and White Flash and was advised to have the SI 1 diamond inspected before making a decision. I'll see. Thanks again to everybody for all of your help!